Setting stone decay in a cultural context: conservation at the African Cemetery No. 2, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Management of stone artifacts requires understanding the driving forces for change, whether natural or anthropogenic, in order to implement effective conservation strategies. Physical, chemical and biological processes of stone decay must be understood in order to remediate the damage they cause. It is not merely the stone itself which is to be conserved, however, but also the cultural, social, religious or artistic ideas that it represents; these values are changeable and must be defined in the context of contemporary heritage processes. Cemetery stone in Kentucky, USA, provides an example of the importance of a holistic approach to stone conservation, which integrates scientific knowledge of decay processes with conservation theory and the needs of stakeholders.